The invention generally relates to computers and computer software, and in particular to methods, apparatus, and computer program products that update files in travel-related databases to modify a previously executed re-accommodation.
A Computer Reservations System (CRS) typically comprises one or more networked computers or computer systems configured to store and retrieve information. The CRS may be configured to facilitate transactions related to air and train travel, hotels, car rental, or other travel-related services. A CRS that is capable of booking and selling tickets for services offered by multiple travel service providers may be referred to as a Global Distribution System (GDS). Typically, CRSs include or access multiple systems and associated databases that store information relating to the aforementioned transactions. These databases may include, for example, a Passenger Name Record (PNR) database for storing travel itinerary data, an Electronic Ticketing System (ETS) database for storing ticketing data, a Departure Control System (DCS) database for storing traveler check-in and service use data, and an inventory system database for storing availability data. These systems may comprise a processing and database system or apparatus for selling and managing the use of travel-related services.
Various types of schedule changes can disrupt booked travel itineraries, thereby prompting a need to rebook travelers with alternative arrangements. Exemplary events that may cause rebooking of travelers include flight schedule changes to re-optimize the airline network, routing and equipment changes, and flight delays or cancellations arising from mechanical problems with equipment, crew availability, or weather conditions. The process of modifying travel itineraries to account for schedule changes is sometimes referred to as a re-accommodation.
In response to a flight schedule change, the CRS may be used to re-accommodate impacted passengers by scheduling them on another segment that provides a suitable replacement for the impacted segment. To this end, the CRS may be used to determine one or more alternative segments that can be used to replace the impacted segment. If necessary, the CRS may also determine alternative segments to replace outbound and inbound segments connected to the impacted segment. Once a solution is selected, the CRS may update the PNR containing the travel itinerary of each impacted passenger in the PNR database. Changes to PNRs may further create a need to update data in the ETS, DCS, and inventory systems. Thus, the re-accommodation may affect data spread across multiple databases.
In some cases, it may be desirable to undo a re-accommodation by modifying the database files to their pre-re-accommodation state, or redo a re-accommodation by modifying the database files to include a different set of replacement segments. For example, the re-accommodation may have been executed by mistake. The re-accommodation may also have been triggered based on erroneous cancellation of a flight segment due to an error from a schedule planning system, an erroneous business rule setting causing a flight or segment cancellation, or transferring passengers to an incorrect booking class. Replacement segments may also be selected in error by the re-accommodation so that travelers having itineraries subject to the re-accommodation would be transferred to incorrect flights or dates unless the travel itinerary is corrected.
In a conventional CRS, it may be difficult to determine which PNRs have been modified as a result of a previous re-accommodation, or what those modifications were. For example, a canceled flight that triggered the re-accommodation may no longer exist in the CRS or be active in the PNR database. In addition, because not all passengers subject to the re-accommodation will necessarily be rebooked on the same replacement segment, it may not be possible to determine which PNRs have been modified by the re-accommodation based on currently booked segments. This problem may be further magnified by the number of interrelated databases impacted by the re-accommodation, by loss of original data when these database files are modified, and by cascading effects of the schedule change. Additional modifications to the travel itinerary subsequent to the re-accommodation may further obscure the database modifications that need to be rolled back in order to undo the re-accommodation.
Thus, improved methods, apparatus, and computer program products for identifying and rolling back database modifications caused by a re-accommodation are needed to assist CRS users in modifying previously executed re-accommodations.